The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-05-28
THE NEW ORLEANS STATES ON THE
RUTLAND GRAB.

II the New Orleans States possesses
any particular feature which commends
it to public favor that feature must Ger.
tainly be its funny department-its
editorial page. The States is very
funny paper and its fun usually runs
into long editorials. The States never
tries to be very funny, however, until
it gets i1to a discussion with some
contemporary upon subject OF vital
importance to the people (and God for.
give it, it generally gets on the wrong
side) and attempts to put its adversary
Ao7s lie combat by its Mark Twanian
gifts. Then the States is very funny
indeed and it is high time for Mark
Twain, Bob Burdette, Bill Nye and
the rest to hunt their holes! The Tel
egraph has recently been made the
subject of very funny article by the
States anent the Rutland grab and we
confess to feeling of having been sur
charged with an overdose of laughing
gas and forced out of the ring in con-
WILSON'S.
But tho Rutland grab
The States charges tho Telegraph
with utterly ignoring, in the discussion
of this matter,
First-nThat it has been grossly ex-
agerated;
Second-That most of the data neces-
sary TO u just distribution of the inter
est of the capitalized debt of the State
due the townships had disappeared
with the records of he Auditors Office,
stolen during Packard IS brief possession
Of the State house in 1877;
Third-That long corrupt manage
ment, the criminal disposal by the
Radicals of the bonds representing
the original debt, and the utter general
confusion into which these accounts
had fallen, rendered it impossible for
the Auditor or any other head of an
executive department to bring order
out ofAhe chaos
Fourth-The facts showed, to any
reasonable mind, that the work could
only be accomplished through long,
tedious and intricate labor by an ex-
pert or person who had made or would
make special study of the subject;
FIfth--It was also shown that Mr.
Rutland had been engaged for ten
years III this work, that his rewards
had been less than one-tenth the enor-
nous sum alleged, and that no lesser
man than Col. II. II. Lott, Of West
Carroll, than whom there is no purel
or moro disinterested man in the State
and no one better acquainted with this
subject, had recommended the schoo
board of his own parish to pursue JUS
such course as that recon- mended by
the Superintendent of Public Education
to the other boards to secure just
and equitable annual distribution O.
this interest fund"
In reply to this tho Telegraph ON
phatically rcjoins that every coun
therein contained is either a misstate
ment OF fact or irrelevant to the issue
1st-The Telegraph did not exagerat,
the job, for it estimated Rutiand's com
mission upon his collection OF interes
for Ouachita parish and purposcly usct
the proviso that If he had beenas success
full in other parishes his fee amounted
TO so much. As soon rs Auditor Steel,
made his first statement in which Ii,
showed that Rutland had only beer
collecting the interest on some 5000 90,
Of the capital the Telegraph was promp
to make the correction. But whethe
he collected tho interest on 81 100000
or 5000, 900, the principle involved i
not altered. He had Il bonanza at an,
rate.
2u-The loss Of records under tn
Packard regime has nothing whatcve
to do with the case. The Constitution
OF 1S72cancelled The bonds representa-.
the original debt disposed of by th
Radicals and proposed Il fresh start
and that Instrument declared that tn,
capitalization Of the debt as fixed b,
the Constitution stat be f,laced apo,
the books Of the A,tdior and Treasure
to the credit Of the sereral to'cnShpS e.,
titled to the same. Now whose dut,
Was it, by all that is holy and sacret